Home News EU Digital Fairness Act Targets Loot Boxes and Gambling Influencer Marketing

EU Digital Fairness Act Targets Loot Boxes and Gambling Influencer Marketing

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Altay Celikkaya

Content Manager

Updated: 13/11/26

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The European Commission has proposed new restrictions on paid loot boxes, gambling-related influencer marketing and digital gaming features under its Digital Fairness Act (DFA).

Adopted on 11 November 2026, the proposal aims to strengthen consumer protection across the European Union. It would introduce stricter transparency requirements for digital businesses while addressing gambling-like mechanics and advertising practices targeting minors.

The European Commission’s official proposal would replace the existing Unfair Commercial Practices Directive with a directly applicable EU regulation.

EU Digital Fairness Act proposal addresses loot box restrictions and gambling influencer marketing.

Regulation & Compliance

Key Takeaways From the EU Digital Fairness Act Proposal

Paid loot boxes would require clearer information about available rewards and winning probabilities.
Businesses would have to provide accessible tools that let consumers turn off paid random reward systems.
Paid loot boxes and pay-to-win mechanisms would face restrictions for minors.
Gambling influencer marketing would face stricter commercial disclosure and advertising compliance requirements.
The proposal requires approval from the European Parliament and Council before becoming law.

EU Proposes Restrictions on Paid Loot Boxes

Article 15 addresses paid variable reward systems, including loot boxes, wheels of fortune and collectable card packs. Businesses offering these products would need to disclose potential rewards and their probabilities before purchase. Consumers would also receive tools to turn off paid random reward features.

The proposal would prohibit offering these systems to minors where products target children or operators can reasonably identify underage users, subject to specified exceptions.

The Commission highlighted the risks associated with randomised rewards.

The proposal said:

They share the speculative features of gambling.

The initiative follows growing regulatory scrutiny of gaming mechanics, including an earlier Austrian Supreme Court ruling on loot boxes.

Gambling Influencer Marketing Faces Tighter Oversight

Article 11 introduces stricter transparency requirements for influencer advertising. Commercial partnerships would need prominent disclosures identifying promotional content. Businesses would also be prohibited from using influencers to advertise products already subject to advertising bans under EU or national legislation.

The proposal specifically identifies betting, lotteries and other gambling products as potentially harmful promotional categories.

However, it does not establish a blanket EU-wide gambling advertising ban, consistent with the Commission’s previous position on gambling advertising regulation.

Individual countries would retain their existing restrictions, including the Netherlands’ gambling influencer advertising rules.

What Happens Next for Operators?

The Digital Fairness Act remains a legislative proposal and must be approved by the European Parliament and Council.

Its current text provides for application 12 months after entry into force. For gaming businesses, gambling operators and affiliates, the proposed framework highlights growing regulatory attention to digital monetisation, consumer transparency and influencer accountability across European markets.